Abu Dhabi: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Abu Dhabi increased in June 2012 by 0.22 while it dropped in Dubai by 0.17 per cent, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report showed today.
Consumer prices in the UAE rose to a six-month high in June 2012, driven by the rising costs of food, tobacco, textiles and clothing, the NBS said.
The NBS said the country’s Consumer Price Index reached 116.48 in the first half of 2012. It pointed out that the average increase of prices amount to 0.64 per cent compared with the first half of 2011.
The NBS attributed the increase to some items, including food and soft drinks which rose by 7.1 per cent, tobacco by 4.84 per cent, and textiles and clothing by 4.26 per cent.
However, there were price declines in other major expenditure segments, such as housing which fell by 3.65 per cent and recreational and cultural pursuits by 0.21 per cent, the report showed.
Fluctuations in emirates
According to the NBS, the CPI fluctuated considerably in the seven emirates. The CPI increased by the end of June in Abu Dhabi by 0.22 per cent, Ras Al Khaimah by 0.47 per cent and Sharjah by 0.53 while it fell in Dubai by 0.17 per cent, in Ajman by 0.34 per cent, in Umm Al Quwain by 0.01 per cent, and Fujairah by 0.35 per cent.
Dr Numan Ashour, a UAE-based chief economist and analyst, told Gulf News that the variance in CPI between Dubai and Abu Dhabi can be attributed to three reasons. “The Dubai government has launched strict monitoring and surveillance of prices in all malls and outlets. It has a hotline for complaints and in the past few months, it received 3,115 complaints on prices. The Dubai government has also asked outlets to cap prices in order to help control inflation,” Ashour added.
